In the Roman times the local Celtic tribe laid out streets and built a town around them. A wall was also built to surround the city.
The Romans left the city entirely abandoned and in 597 AD the Pope sent monks to convert the Saxons who took over the town. In this time the silver coin appeared and traded for goods brought to Canterbury by water.
In 1066 Canterbury was under Dane ruling, but surrendered when King William invaded the land. King William constructed a castle. By the 14th century the town was home to 10,000.
By the 16th and 17th centuries Canterbury was a full, brick city flourishing with tourism. Some points of interest included the Christchurch Cathedral Gateway and The Old Weavers House.
In the 18th century Canterbury was quiet, but had a good paper and leather industry. The railway reached Canterbury in the 19th century after parliament was created in the late 18th century.
World War II brought damage to the small town when German bombs destroyed buildings and killed 115 people. Museums and the Marlowe Arcade opened at the end of the century, but most importantly the Canterbury Castled opened to the public in 1997.
